desk per diem

desk per diemn.— «For most of the year, senators and Assembly members are eligible to receive $162 per day on top of their annual base salary, which rises from $113,000 to $116,000 in December. This “desk” per diem, as it’s called, is designed to cover the cost of keeping a second home in Sacramento. Unless lawmakers have an unexcused absence, they typically receive it every day the Legislature works.» —“Fruits of the battle: extra pay for Senate” by Brian Joseph in Sacramento Orange County Register (California) Aug. 9, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)